ChatGPT emerged about a year ago, simultaneously mobilizing tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Meta, all of whom seemed fearful of being left behind in innovation and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).
With hundreds of millions of people now experimenting with the power of AI chatbots every month, the role that artificial intelligence plays in our daily lives, especially online, is expected to grow exponentially as more users understand the power of the technology.
In a recent conversation with investment firm FT Partners, Alex Blania, CEO and co-founder of Tools For Humanity, discussed concerns surrounding the idea that artificial intelligence could one day drive mass online interactions. If that prediction comes true, identifying who is a real person and who is not on the Internet could become paramount.
“There are three main areas we can look at to address the problem,” Blania said last December. “The first is KYC (Know Your Customer), so it’s basically a government infrastructure. The second is what people call a ‘web of trust’, so you know me, I know you, and we assign a certain trust value to each other. We build a network of people who know each other.
“And the last one will be biometrics.” He added, as the discussion turned to the concept of “personal proof.”
Blania’s Tools for Humanity is the main developer of: Worldcoin is a proof-of-private cryptography project that uses an orb device to help authenticate people’s identities online by scanning their irises.proof of character
The internet is already full of malicious actors and fake bot accounts used to spread disinformation and deceive people, but many thought leaders see the rise of artificial intelligence as ultimately making malicious behavior worse. Perhaps the only solution, which is central to Worldcoin’s mission, is to authenticate people’s identities at scale.
However, the main and common concern about this approach is that many people think: People may be interested in handing over data needed to authenticate their identity, such as highly sensitive personal information or biometric information. With hacking and personal data breaches common, how can people have the confidence to hand over the data needed to prove the identity of billions of people?
Some, like Blania, say blockchain technology could play a pivotal role. “The basic idea of cryptocurrency and blockchain is to build something that is decentralized,” Blania said in a December conversation.
At the heart of blockchain technology is a digital ledger that acts as an incorruptible distributed database, storing information in a decentralized manner that can be encrypted. This means that no one entity (individual, company or government) maintains sole control over the data. Many blockchain advocates argue that while single entities tend to be more vulnerable to attacks or capriciousness, decentralized systems will be more stable because they rely on cooperation and consensus.
Encrypted on blockchain
In addition to having personal data stored securely and encrypted on the blockchain, decentralized systems can give people more control over their personal information instead of storing it in for-profit companies like Google or Amazon.
It is argued that blockchain can strengthen the concept of self-sovereign identity. Self-sovereign identity theory argues that by leveraging blockchain, individuals can exercise greater control over their personal data, making them more aware of what data they can access and how they can access it when they choose to access online platforms. The point is that you can make a definitive decision. used.
“Centralized systems like Google have complete control over their data, including how it is used and who has access to it. “Raheel Govindji, CEO and founder of ModClub, told The Block. “In a decentralized system, you maintain control over your own data. “You can choose what you share and with whom, which increases your privacy and autonomy.”
Modclub will test facial recognition through OpenChat, a decentralized chat app, to tackle the challenge of proving “unique humanity.”
Isaac Patka, co-founder of blockchain security company Shield3, warns that while decentralized systems can give people more control over their data, they are not without vulnerabilities. “A decentralized system is not necessarily more secure just because it is decentralized,” he told The Block. “But the potential scope is reduced: without a central data repository, an attacker would have to compromise multiple systems one by one.
Identity theft protection
Some advocates see blockchain’s immutability as inherently making it more resistant to identity theft and fraud risks. Therefore, the fact that blockchains are more difficult to tamper with can help reduce potential malicious activity by ensuring that recorded information cannot be altered or tampered with at a later date.
“Unlike centralized systems where access records can be more easily manipulated, blockchain ensures that all interactions are permanently recorded. This feature is especially useful in applications such as Proof of Humanity. Any changes or updates are securely recorded on the blockchain. This enables trust without repeated data exchanges, improving both security and efficiency,” Govindji said.“Blockchain is like giving everyone their own digital vault, allowing them to control when, where and how they access their data.”
Worldcoin has probably been the most high-profile project related to character verification. But this is not the only blockchain-based project interested in promoting validation of our unique humanity. Among other things, these projects include d.Centralized chat app open chat and Rarimo code.
Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet delivering news, research and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor in The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the cryptocurrency space. Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget is an anchor LP of Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to provide objective, impactful and timely information about the cryptocurrency industry. Below are our current financial disclosures.
© 2023 The Block. All rights reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not provided or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial or other advice.